Written Answers Thursday 5 October 2006

Scottish Executive

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers or deputy ministers have written to the Home Office regarding the impact of immigration and asylum legislation and Home Office practice on their responsibilities under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Robert Brown: Scottish ministers have not written to the Home Office specifically on this issue. However, it has been discussed as part of on-going discussion with the Home Office around asylum practice.

Care of Elderly People

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how ministerial confidence in the Executive’s financial planning can be reconciled with the data in Statistics Release: Free Personal and Nursing Care Scotland 2002-2005 which omit figures for West Lothian in Table 13 and also imply that in 2004-05 the (a) gross cost per hour, gross of all on-costs, of delivering personal care in the domestic situation in Renfrewshire and (b) net cost per hour, net of all on-costs, in the largest authority, Glasgow City, was less than the hourly minimum wage.

Lewis Macdonald: The statistics mentioned are based on information provided by and quality assured by local authorities. They are not published as National Statistics as there are known problems with coverage and data quality which are gradually improving over time. All figures are provisional and subject to possible change in next year’s publication as local authorities continue to improve their data collection systems.

  The Executive’s financial planning uses data from a variety of different sources and does not just rely on reported past expenditure. The distribution of funding to local authorities follows the Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocation process and for social work services in 2004-05 this amounted to a total allocation of £1.7 billion.

  GAE lines are agreed by the Executive in consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and are set using a number of indicators. The GAE lines for Social Work services are not ring-fenced allowing local authorities to set budgets and manage their finances according to local priorities and needs.

Children

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a shortfall in the local government finance settlement in respect of the financing of children’s services.

Mr Tom McCabe: Recent reports of a shortfall in the local government finance settlement in respect of children’s services were misleading. Those reports were based on incomplete information and an over-simplification of the local government finance position. Ensuring that children receive the care and support they need has been, and will remain, one the Executive’s highest priorities.

Civil Service Relocation

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authority areas have not featured on any shortlist in relation to its relocation policy.

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authority areas, not featured on any shortlist under its relocation policy, contain locations which were listed for consideration in any review under the Small Units Initiative.

George Lyon: Earlier this year, we published on our Relocation web page a list of priority locations for potential location reviews. These were identified by local authorities and local enterprise companies and include locations in all local authority areas outside of Edinburgh City. The website includes a separate list of potential priority locations for Small Unit Initiative location reviews covering both Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise areas. This ensures that all local authority areas outside Edinburgh have the opportunity to be considered for relocated public sector posts. The relocation website is at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Relocation/LocationOpps.

Council Tax

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28405 by Mr Tom McCabe on 26 September 2006, how much has been received to balance any change in the cost of council tax benefit subsidy in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive received £35 million in respect of 2002-03 and £57 million in respect of 2003-04 to balance any change in the cost of council tax benefit subsidy.

Crime

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol-related (a) crimes and (b) antisocial behaviour incidents there were in each of the last 10 financial years, broken down by police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on whether or not particular crimes or incidents are "alcohol-related" is not held centrally.

Culture

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to protect the cultural heritage in relation to indigenous crafts.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Arts Council and the National Museums of Scotland (NMS), both non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Scottish Executive, are currently preparing an exhibition of contemporary Scottish crafts, Cutting Edge, which will run from February to June in 2007. The  exhibition will be taken on tour to Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and, hopefully, Glasgow.

  Previous exhibitions and tours include the Celebrating Scotland’s Crafts exhibition at the NMS in June 2000 which subsequently toured Scotland and the USA in 2002-03.

  The NMS have an international collection of craft items, which includes many Scottish crafts and has been involved in showcasing Scottish crafts at both the Smithsonian Institute and during Tartan Week.

  Scotland’s indigenous crafts are also well represented in collections in non-national museums throughout Scotland.

Culture

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to encourage the maintenance and future sustainability of indigenous crafts.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Arts Council (SAC) supports many traditional craft makers and organisations. Indigenous craft makers are also supported through wider crafts initiatives such as the web promotion tool www.craftscotland.org. This web resource, initiated by SAC as part of its Creative Industries strategy, provides makers with a means to promote their work nationally and internationally.

  A conference for indigenous craft makers in 1996 revealed a rich diversity of crafts nationwide. In September 2005, the SAC hosted the Living Traditions Indigenous Crafts Conference at Birnham, Perthshire. The purpose of this conference was to review developments in the sector and consider future needs.

Dentistry

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in ensuring that appropriate education and training is in place, at the appropriate time, to enable practising denturists to maintain their livelihoods following implementation of the amendment to the Dentists Act 1984.

Lewis Macdonald: Since 31 July 2006 clinical dental technicians (denturists) have been required to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) before they can practise. Registration is on the basis of qualifications approved by the GDC.

  Registered dental technicians who wish to practise as clinical dental technicians will have to undertake further training to gain the clinical skills they need to register as such with the GDC. Discussions continue with NHS Education for Scotland, aimed at setting up a course in Scotland from as early as possible in 2007. This course will require GDC approval, and its viability will need to be demonstrated for the Scottish education sector. Interest to date has been low.

  For those who already have the Canadian George Brown qualification there is a "top-up" course available in England. Although a Scottish satellite of this course was planned, only one candidate has been identified. Discussions are on-going with a view to agreeing the best way of ensuring that this individual can pursue the course.

Development

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide full details of the transfer of property, rights and liabilities package agreed between Scottish ministers, North Lanarkshire Council and the former Cumbernauld Development Corporation.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is contained in the New Town (Cumbernauld) (Transfer of Property, Rights and Liabilities) Order 1996/464, a copy of which can be obtained from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Drug Misuse

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drug addicts there are in each (a) local authority area, (b) parliamentary constituency and (c) NHS board area, also showing the percentage of the total number of such addicts these numbers represent in each category.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-18148 on 18 August 2005 and S2W-19769 answered on 24 October 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Education

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to make first aid training a core part of the curriculum in all education establishments.

Robert Brown: The curriculum review work to date has shown that space can be found in the curriculum for wider learning experiences such as first aid, but the nature of these will be for education authorities and schools to decide.

Education

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional resources to local authorities to improve the number, and terms and conditions, of school-based technicians under its national science strategy.

Robert Brown: The terms and conditions of service, and the numbers of science technicians in schools, are matters for local authorities as employers.

Energy

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what proportion of homes are heated by (a) gas and (b) electricity.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Continuous Scottish House Condition Survey collects information on the primary heating fuel of occupied dwellings.

  For the year October 2003 to September 2004, the survey estimate is that in 74% of homes gas was the main heating fuel and in 18% of homes electricity was the main heating fuel.

External Relations

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to encourage the Scottish diaspora in Australia to return to Scotland to live and to help reverse predicted population decline.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive engages with the Scottish diaspora to further Scotland’s interests for the long-term benefit of our economy and society. We aim to encourage the diaspora’s active participation and engagement in promoting Scotland as a great country to visit, live, learn, work, do business and invest.

  During the First Minister’s visit to Melbourne, Australia in March 2006, he hosted one diaspora event and launched the quarterly diaspora E magazine, Scotland-Now.

  The First Minister’s visit marked the beginning of a long-term engagement with the Australian Diaspora to showcase what 21st century Scotland has to offer and to encourage some of these bright, talented people to come here to live and work.

External Relations

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to encourage the Scottish diaspora in Australia to contribute to reducing any skills shortage in Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive engages with the Scottish diaspora to further Scotland’s interests for the long-term benefit of our economy and society. We aim to encourage the diaspora’s active participation and engagement in promoting Scotland as a great country to visit, live, learn, work, do business and invest.

  During the First Minister’s visit to Melbourne, Australia in March 2006, he hosted one diaspora event and launched the quarterly diaspora E magazine, Scotland-Now.

  We will encourage Australians, through marketing and promotional activities, to find out about living and working in Scotland by going to www.scotlandistheplace.com and contacting the Relocation Advisory Service if they have specific enquiries. We also use case studies of Australians who are already in Scotland - for study or work purposes - to help us showcase what Scotland has to offer.

External Relations

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, and intends to take, to encourage the Scottish diaspora in Australia to invest in the Scottish economy.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive engages with the Scottish Diaspora to further Scotland’s interests for the long-term benefit of our economy and society. We aim to encourage the diaspora’s active participation and engagement in promoting Scotland as a great country to visit, live, learn, work, do business and invest.

  During the First Minister’s visit to Melbourne, Australia in March 2006, he hosted one diaspora event and launched the quarterly diaspora E magazine, Scotland-Now.

  Scottish Development International (SDI) is already highly active in the Australian market, with a presence which covers all the Australian states and which supports both the trade and inward investment agendas in a way that is knowledge driven and highly integrated. The Executive works closely with SDI, where appropriate, to further Scottish interests including encouraging inward investment.

External Relations

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits have accrued to Scotland from the sister state agreement signed with the Australian state of Victoria and what benefits it expects will accrue.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive and the State of Victoria are currently developing an action plan for co-operation over a number of initiatives in areas such as health and life sciences. There has already been valuable co-operation over Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.

  The Executive believes that Scotland will benefit from the exchange of experience and expertise that the agreement provides for. It is an integral part of the agreement that an assessment of the benefits to both parties will be carried out.

External Relations

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with the governments of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Catalonia and Tuscany and what matters were discussed.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive holds frequent meetings at a Ministerial and official level with governmental counterparts in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Catalonia and Tuscany. Discussions focus on furthering specific activity under the action plans that underpin the Co-operation Agreements with our four partner regions.

Genetically Modified Food

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what size of, shipments of potentially GM-contaminated long-grain rice from the United States have been received in each Scottish port in each year since 2003.

Lewis Macdonald: No shipments of US long-grain rice were delivered by sea to Scottish ports in either 2003 or 2004.

  Thirty-nine tonnes were delivered by sea to Scottish ports in 2005, and 20 tonnes between January and July this year.

  The Food Standards Agency is currently analysing samples of imported rice at rice mills in the UK, and will publish the results of this analysis shortly.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals were estimated to have had (a) gambling, (b) alcohol or (c) drug addictions in each year since 1999, broken down by (i) local authority area, (ii) parliamentary constituency and (iii) NHS board area.

Hugh Henry: Estimates by local authority, parliamentary constituency and NHS board are not available on gambling or alcohol addiction.

  Scottish Executive social research suggests that an estimated 0.6% to 0.8% of the adult population in Britain are problem gamblers. The rate is similar for Scotland.

  The Scottish Health Survey 2003 found that 5% of men and 2% of women reported occasions when they felt unable to stop drinking.

  National prevalence studies estimating the number of problematic drug users in Scotland have been undertaken in 2000 and 2003. This information, broken down by NHS board and local authority area, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40553). This information is not available by parliamentary constituency.

Housing

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to review grant eligibility and financial limits in respect of private sector housing repairs and renovation.

Johann Lamont: The current system of improvement and repair grants will be modified by the implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. The process of implementation will include a review of the test for determining the amount of grant where a grant is given.

Housing

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the housing needs of migrant workers in the Highlands.

Malcolm Chisholm: Although there are no definitive figures available we are aware that there has been significant recent growth in the number of migrant workers in the Highlands.

  In the first instance it is for Highland Council, as the strategic housing authority, to assess what impact this will have on housing provision in its area and to develop proposals for meeting any impact. I know that the council is working with a range of bodies, including Communities Scotland, to address the issue.

  For our part, the Scottish Executive has increased the housing development programme in the Highlands from £5.4 million in 1997-98 to over £31 million in the current year, a six-fold increase in resources.

Housing

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-27939 and S2W-27940 by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 September 2006, what information and promotional literature has been distributed in (a) Inverclyde and (b) Renfrewshire to inform local authorities, voluntary groups and the public of the Special Needs Capital Grant and Homestake schemes.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Details on information and promotional literature on Homestake distributed to local authorities and others is given in the following table:

  

 Date
 


 November 2004
 Letters sent to all local authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), including those in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire, advising of the publication of a discussion paper outlining proposals for introducing shared equity tenure models across Scotland


 Early 2005
 Factsheet about the Homestake Scheme sent to all local authorities and RSLs


 August 2005
 Detailed operational guidance sent to all local authorities and RSLs


 September 2005
 Further information about Homestake, including an information booklet, sent to all local authorities, RSLs and members of the public who had expressed an interest in the Scheme. 



  Detailed information about Homestake, including information on planned projects in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire, is available on Communities Scotland’s website at www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

  Special Needs Capital Grant is for private or charitable organisations to provide housing for people with particular needs. This is a small-scale programme at present but includes support for Ownership Options in Scotland in helping owner-occupier households with disabled persons access suitable housing. This information is available on Communities Scotland’s website.

Pensions

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-28278 and S2W-28279 by Hugh Henry on 21 September 2006, how it reconciles the minister’s statement in the answer to the former question that because pension credit is not included in Schedule 2 of the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 2002 income as a result of this benefit "will be included in the assessment of an applicant’s disposable income" with the statement in the answer to the latter question that "any pension credit income received is disregarded in the assessment of disposable income".

Hugh Henry: There is no inconsistency between the answers to the two questions S2W-28278 and S2W-28279. The rules for assessment of disposable income for advice and assistance and civil legal aid are different.

  Question S2W-28278 related to legal aid. Schedule 2 of the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 2002 governs the assessment of disposable income for civil legal aid. Pension credit is not included as a disregarded benefit in this Schedule and is therefore counted in the assessment of disposable income for civil legal aid.

  Question S2W-28279 related to advice and assistance. Schedule 2 of the Advice and Assistance (Scotland) Regulations 1996 governs the assessment of disposable income for advice and assistance. Pension credit is included as a disregarded benefit by virtue of this Schedule and so is disregarded in the assessment of disposable income for advice and assistance.

Prescription Charges

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report on the written consultation, focus group discussions and survey of public attitudes and awareness on the Partnership Agreement review of NHS prescription charges for people with chronic health conditions and young people in full-time education or training.

Lewis Macdonald: I expect the final report on the public consultation phase of the review to be submitted to ministers in the course of this month, with a view to publication before the end of the year.

Public Sector Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that part-time staff in the public sector receive appropriate training for their continuing professional development.

Mr Tom McCabe: Part-time workers are protected against discrimination by the Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000. Under the regulations part-time workers are entitled to receive the same access to training and development opportunities as full-time employees.

  It is for individual employers to ensure that staff receive appropriate training. As an employer, the Scottish Executive delivers learning opportunities on the principle of equal opportunity, recognising the variety of working patterns we operate and using the full range of learning opportunities available to us.

Rail Network

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16435 by Nicol Stephen on 24 May 2005, whether the final report of the feasibility study into the provision of a new station and park and ride facility at Allandale/Castlecary and lower level studies of other local stations including High Bonnybridge have been submitted by Falkirk Council and, if so, what the findings were and what decisions have ensued.

Tavish Scott: The final report of the feasibility study into the provision of a new park and ride station at Allandale was submitted to the Scottish Executive by consultants acting on behalf of Falkirk Council earlier this year.

  The report, which took the form of a STAG appraisal, considered the feasibility of a station and park and ride at Allandale, the impact of this site on other rail stations and the overall use of the rail network and the feasibility of other stations on the rail line at Bonnybridge and Abronhill. The study was also expanded to include the operational feasibility and economic appraisal of a station and park and ride site at Bannockburn.

  The report concluded that the development of an alternative park and ride facility at Bannockburn would provide best value for money and that this option should be taken forward to a Design and Development Appraisal stage.

  In view of the strong case set out in the STAG report for the development of Bannockburn over Allandale, I have agreed that Bannockburn should be further appraised and that no further work should be taken on Allandale.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement schemes for the A701 (a) have been completed since 1999, (b) are under way or (c) are planned to commence by 2008-09 and what the actual or estimated (i) cost and (ii) commencement date is, or was, for each scheme.

Tavish Scott: No significant improvement schemes on the A701 trunk road have been completed since 1999, are currently underway or are planned to commence by 2008-09.

  However, between 2001 and 2005 the Scottish Executive carried out works on the route to the value of £3.153 million, of which £2.898 million was spent on surfacing projects.

  Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Sport

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards the construction of a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen to assist the preparation of Scotland’s future international swimmers for championship events.

Patricia Ferguson: Sportscotland is committed to working with the Aberdeen City Council and its partners on their proposal to develop a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen.

Sport

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to provide financial support for Scottish snowboarders who have secured the Olympic Gold Passport, in light of reports that one team member has been awarded £5,000 from  sportscotland whereas English snowboarders have received £10,000 from Sport England.

Patricia Ferguson: The Olympic Gold Passport is a Great Britain wide scheme managed by the British Olympic Association which does not include a monetary value. All athletes across Great Britain are eligible for the World Class Podium, World Class Development or World Class Talent Programmes will receive a monetary award.

  In consultation with Snowsport Great Britain, sportscotland has offered £5,000 Athlete Support to a Scottish snowboarder. However, there is no information available at this time about which English Snowsport athletes are eligible for Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme support or how much that support might be.

Transport

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Chief Executive of Transport Scotland will reply to my letter of 27 July 2006 regarding Inveraldie Granary.

Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland did not receive the letter of 27 July 2006. A faxed copy was received on 22 September and the Chief Executive will reply within the next two weeks.

Voluntary Sector

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has received through Barnett consequentials resulting from the recent announcement by the UK Government Cabinet Office of £1.1 million funding to promote volunteering among hard-to-reach groups.

Mr Tom McCabe: The funding to promote volunteering recently announced by the UK Government Cabinet Office was allocated from existing resources and does not therefore result in any consequentials for Scotland.

The following questions were given holding answers:

S2W-28540

  S2W-28542

  S2W-28543

  S2W-28551

  S2W-28587